HELP!!! Why am I not losing weight???

Lori0534

Okay, so I am 5'2", 30 years old with measurements of chest 37, waist 28, hips 36 and weighed 143.5 this morning!!! UGH I wear a medium top and size 4 bottoms...and don't look big...a lot of my weight is in my chest and I am muscular...but last week I was down to 140. I used to weigh on average 122 before I had kids. Well, my youngest is 18 months old and I have not been able to shed the extra lbs since!!! I am doing the 30 Day Shred 6 days a week and I am on day 17. I count my calories on here and stay at or below 1200 a day. I do like to drink beer, but I ony have a few drinks one night a week. I used to could go drink on the weekends and still stay anywhere between 115-122. Am I not shedding the extra baby weight because of drinking once a week or what??? It's driving me nuts!!! Also, how can I still wear the same clothes as I did when I weighed 120 and them not really look a lot different??????? Somebody help me!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

GODfidence

Eat more.
1200 works for a little bit but ultimately stalls.
You need to figure out tdee and eat that -10 or 20
Percent. Or set your profile to lose one pound per week
And eat back exercise calories.

fromnebraska

Try eating more calories everyday.

Suzanne106

Your body just changes once you have a baby. I think you are way over thinking this and worrying about nothing. You are putting way too much emphasis on the scale. If you are feeling good and your clothes are fitting nicely, just relax and it will happen. Good luck!

sonograssa

Hey, Lori
It's not just weight on the scale. Muscle weighs more. It might take a while for the metabolism to "kick in" also. I highly recommend adding some weights. 3- to 5-lb weights and some basic upper and lower body workouts you can do at home might help jump-start. Your weight is probably shifted around; that makes a difference, especially after kids.
And it might just take TIME. It takes me a long time to lose weight...over 3 months for just 8-9 lbs, so don't despair. Beer does have lots of calories; be sure to count in everything that goes into your mouth when keeping track of food. And that includes the beer.
And most important of all, it is all about how you look and feel; not just what number shows up on the scale.
Enjoy those babies; will be grown before you know it.

Holdenke1

Yes, that is good advise from GODfidence. Also, as we age and have children, our bodies change and we can't get back to the same figure. Although you are a size 4 bottom, that is tiny! And you say you are muscular - that is why you weigh 143. I know you don't need me to tell you that musce weighs more than fat. I'm sure you look great! Let go of the idea that you will look the same as you did before having children. I also do not believe beer is fattening - just count the calories.

Dustybugger

I am in the exact same boat - same height as you - 5'2, 140lbs, 30 years old -- I run 3.5 miles 3 days a week and 4-5 miles a day 2 days a week. I do the whole 1200 calorie thing, sometimes I eat a little more if I run (like whatever extra cals I've burned), but I'm frustrated too. I lost 4 pounds, and now I'm back at 138 this morning. I was so mad. It's true what they say about turning 30, your metabolism just stops. I used to be able to eat whatever, and just exercise more and lose weight. Now I'm eating way less and exercising more and the weight is barely moving. It's frustrating, I would stick to drinking only on weekends or your days off. And drink vodka club with a splash of either diet cran or a slice of lemon - you don't have to drink as much as you do with beer to get a buzz.

Good luck and if you're still fitting into your size 4 pants, then I don't see the problem! But if those size 4s got a lot of stretch in them, you know you got some extra give. My size 28 skinny jeans are too tight and they are WAY too expensive so I gotta get back in them!!

kdiamond

Are you counting every calorie accurately? With a scale?

Even drinking a few beers is fine, as long as it fits in your calories. It might be worth it to switch to vodka on those nights though. Less calories, no sugar.

I was 130 pounds after I had my babies, it took about 18 months after the last one but I got down to 105 pounds. I did it mainly through accurate logging, and I would eat based on my workouts, so I never ate the same amount each day. I would eat between 1000-1500 calories a day. It took 4-5 months of being very strict but the weight came off. I also worked out 5x a week for 45 minutes each time, strength training and cardio. I ate as little processed foods as possible, and lots of lean meats, cheeses, veggies, nuts and eggs.

Lori0534

What is tdee?
Thank you for the replies!!! It's just so discouraging to try for a year and a half and get NO WHERE! I do put the calroies in for even the beer . I always drink Mich Ultra and it is 95 calories per bottle/can and no fat. So, I just don't know where I am going wrong! Or if it is my metabolism or what!!! I don't expect to look like I did at 21, but I would like to just at least get to 125-130. Also, I do 5 lbs weights with my Shred workout...My right arm has bulked up so much!!! haha I teach school and my kids are like "daaang you have one strong arm!!!" I guess that comes from many many years of playing catcher in fast pitch softball!!!

czmmom

I am also 5' 2" and was where you were just a little over a year ago. I am a few years older :laugh: It took a long time for me to lose 12 pounds - almost a full year if not a little more. I tried the whole 1200 calories thing but it was not for me. I was always hungry and moody and the weight did not seem to be coming off. I ended up setting my profile to lose a half a pound a week which put my calories at 1450 for the day. I was much happier and not any worse off than I was when eating 1200. I am down to 131 pounds(most days at least) and am really struggling for the last pound. I am flirting with the doing the TDEE thing.

Lori0534

Yea, I'm wearing my skinny's today and they fit fine!!!! My legs and hips are not big...I just have big ole boobs and my stomach needs work! I even put in if I eat 3 M&M's....maybe I eat too much of the same thing/same cals????

Mummyadams

Does the weight on the scale really matter? If your clothes are fitting fine then what is the problem? The fact that you can fit back into your pre preggy clothes is a huge accomplishment. Not only is it very hard to move those stubborn last baby pounds but your body shape changes also. I also think you should eat more than 1200 cals, am sure you will get that response alot here.

Lori0534

Really? Eat more than 1200? I've always had to watch what I ate closely to stay within a
Range that was good with me. After my husband and I started dating I put on a lot f weight because he is so tall and can eat a ton and we ate out a lot. I got on the scales and weighed 146 and knew I had to lose weight ASAP. At that time I was 22 and wore a 7/8 until I dropped 30 lbs in 3 months . I stayed down until getting preggo with my first. I just dot understand how I look so different from what I did then at 146??! Just a shift? I did WW then with waking/jogging and dropped the lbs quick. In the last 18 months I have ran up to 3 miles a day, done circuit training, Zumba,tried WW again for a few months, and MFP and not much change on the ole scale. I know the scale doesn't matter as much as how I look and feel but geesh!

twinketta

If you are eating 1200 then make sure to eat back your exercise cals and do not go under 1200 cals, that is the important thing.

So add all your food to your diary and make sure you are adding ALL your exercise calories otherwise you will be under eating and this could create the problem for you?

I lost my weight on the 1200 cals a day plus exercise and you will get people that lose weight eating more, you have to find what works and feels good for you

pspetralia

You probably need to eat more. Are you netting at least 1200 calories...as in do you eat your exercise cals back? If not I would start there.

3dogsrunning

Open your food diary. It will help people give a better answer as to why you may not be losing weight.

FitBlackChick

First thing that comes to mind: eat more! 1200 calories is not enough for such intense training. That's exactly the predicament I had. I was eating at/below 1300 cals a day and i refused to eat back my exercise calories. I didn't get anywhere for up to 3 months! On top of it all, I was starting to lose sleep, my exercises were suffering, I began to binge eat because I would get so stressed and hungry, and I was having severe mood swings. Thinking back, it was probably a lack of nutrition. Anyway I increased my calories by a couple hundred (I was TERRIFIED btw) and I started to lose weight again. And I tell ya, it sure was a relief t know that I could lose weight without starving myself

aepdx

Maybe you could try some completely different workouts once a week or so. Maybe a kickboxing class or hot yoga? I tend to do the same routine a lot, so I am also trying to switch things up.

970Mikaela1

Didn't read all replies but are you accurate with weighing your food?

Lori0534

No, I don't weigh my food. My typical day goes like this... Unsweetened tea for breakfast ( I know, but eating in the morning upsets my stomach so bad...always has), lunch at 11 is either a small salad from Wal Mart - 190 calories, or a turkey sandwich, or a cup of soup with a few crackers. I sometimes have 9 low fat wheat honey pretzels with lunch at 120 calories. Then, I usually do not snack until I get home around 4:30 and I then have some pickles or a small beef jerkey or grapes. For dinner we have boneless skinless chicken breast, a green veggie and then a starch for kids and hubby. If I eat the startch I limit it to 2 Tbsp. We do have other things too, but that's a pretty normal regimen around here. Tonight I am making fresh spinnach enchiladas on low carb flour tortillas. How do you open up your food diary?

3dogsrunning

No, I don't weigh my food. My typical day goes like this... Unsweetened tea for breakfast ( I know, but eating in the morning upsets my stomach so bad...always has), lunch at 11 is either a small salad from Wal Mart - 190 calories, or a turkey sandwich, or a cup of soup with a few crackers. I sometimes have 9 low fat wheat honey pretzels with lunch at 120 calories. Then, I usually do not snack until I get home around 4:30 and I then have some pickles or a small beef jerkey or grapes. For dinner we have boneless skinless chicken breast, a green veggie and then a starch for kids and hubby. If I eat the startch I limit it to 2 Tbsp. We do have other things too, but that's a pretty normal regimen around here. Tonight I am making fresh spinnach enchiladas on low carb flour tortillas. How do you open up your food diary?

My home > settings > diary settings.

Are you measuring your food at all?

ETA - breakfast is not necessary. If you can't eat early, don't.

FitBlackChick

No, I don't weigh my food. My typical day goes like this... Unsweetened tea for breakfast ( I know, but eating in the morning upsets my stomach so bad...always has), lunch at 11 is either a small salad from Wal Mart - 190 calories, or a turkey sandwich, or a cup of soup with a few crackers. I sometimes have 9 low fat wheat honey pretzels with lunch at 120 calories. Then, I usually do not snack until I get home around 4:30 and I then have some pickles or a small beef jerkey or grapes. For dinner we have boneless skinless chicken breast, a green veggie and then a starch for kids and hubby. If I eat the startch I limit it to 2 Tbsp. We do have other things too, but that's a pretty normal regimen around here. Tonight I am making fresh spinnach enchiladas on low carb flour tortillas. How do you open up your food diary?

Go to Settings> Diary Settings

fromnebraska

No, I don't weigh my food. My typical day goes like this... Unsweetened tea for breakfast ( I know, but eating in the morning upsets my stomach so bad...always has), lunch at 11 is either a small salad from Wal Mart - 190 calories, or a turkey sandwich, or a cup of soup with a few crackers. I sometimes have 9 low fat wheat honey pretzels with lunch at 120 calories. Then, I usually do not snack until I get home around 4:30 and I then have some pickles or a small beef jerkey or grapes. For dinner we have boneless skinless chicken breast, a green veggie and then a starch for kids and hubby. If I eat the startch I limit it to 2 Tbsp. We do have other things too, but that's a pretty normal regimen around here. Tonight I am making fresh spinnach enchiladas on low carb flour tortillas. How do you open up your food diary?

You are eating hardly anything! I can't imagine not eating breakfast, then eating 120-190 calories for lunch, and then not eating until 4:30! You really need to eat more food. I did a quick BMR calculation on MFP's BMR calculator and you should be at least eating 1322 calories per day, plus any exercise calories. Don't worry about eating more calories, it is what your body needs.

Mummyadams

No, I don't weigh my food. My typical day goes like this... Unsweetened tea for breakfast ( I know, but eating in the morning upsets my stomach so bad...always has), lunch at 11 is either a small salad from Wal Mart - 190 calories, or a turkey sandwich, or a cup of soup with a few crackers. I sometimes have 9 low fat wheat honey pretzels with lunch at 120 calories. Then, I usually do not snack until I get home around 4:30 and I then have some pickles or a small beef jerkey or grapes. For dinner we have boneless skinless chicken breast, a green veggie and then a starch for kids and hubby. If I eat the startch I limit it to 2 Tbsp. We do have other things too, but that's a pretty normal regimen around here. Tonight I am making fresh spinnach enchiladas on low carb flour tortillas. How do you open up your food diary?

You are eating too little.

3dogsrunning

Chances are she is eating too little, however, without seeing her diary and knowing if she measures and logs everything you can't be sure which is why I asked about opening the diary. Many people underestimate how much they eat.

fromnebraska

Chances are she is eating too little, however, without seeing her diary and knowing if she measures and logs everything you can't be sure which is why I asked about opening the diary. Many people underestimate how much they eat.

This is true. Good point.

kingkoopaluv

stop getting on the scale and fixating on a number.

AmyLeever

What is eaten is just as important as how much and how many calories. Also adding weight training 3x a week on top of cardio is crucial. Muscle burns fat! Women are always so afraid to lift heavy weights because they think they'll bulk up and look like a dude, but that is so not the case. The more muscle gained, the more fat burned, the leaner the body gets. Changing up workouts every 4-6 weeks is another tip that not too many people understand. Doing the same thing every day, over and over won't get the body to burn fat and calories. Keep the body guessing, so it'll keep burning. HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts are the best, along with doing other fun things, like Zumba, hiking, biking, playing sports. The trick is to keep moving and keep the body guessing. But proper fuel for the body is key. No processed, out of a box, 'diet' foods are going to help. Clean, fresh, natural, whole vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds & lean meat is key, and limit dairy and grains. There are so many misconceptions about food, but coming from experience, the cleaner the diet, the more efficiently the body will burn fat and the better the body will feel. Lastly, quite obsessing with the scale! In fact, throw it away! Take your measurements, go by the way your clothes fit, how much energy you have, how clear your skin is, how clear your thinking is. Those are more important guides to how healthy one is, over what number the scale says.

Lori0534

My food diary is open now!!! Thanks for all of the help!!!

jgcurry3

Hey, Lori
It's not just weight on the scale. Muscle weighs more. It might take a while for the metabolism to "kick in" also. I highly recommend adding some weights. 3- to 5-lb weights and some basic upper and lower body workouts you can do at home might help jump-start. Your weight is probably shifted around; that makes a difference, especially after kids.
And it might just take TIME. It takes me a long time to lose weight...over 3 months for just 8-9 lbs, so don't despair. Beer does have lots of calories; be sure to count in everything that goes into your mouth when keeping track of food. And that includes the beer.
And most important of all, it is all about how you look and feel; not just what number shows up on the scale.
Enjoy those babies; will be grown before you know it.

Muscle does not weigh more than fat. It is more dense, 5 lbs is 5lbs.

Lori0534

So, the theory here is that 1lb of muscle weighs the same as 1 lb of fat, but does not take up as much room?